Lubricator.



No. 791,084. I PATENTED MAY 30, 1905.

- T. DAVIS.

LUBRIOATOB.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 6, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED MAY 30, 1905. T. DAVIS.

LUBRIOATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 0, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WI E 5 SEE. fi ifigm UNrTEn STATES Patented m 30, 1905.

PATENT OEETcE.

THOMAS DAVIS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LUBFHCATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 791,084, dated May 30,1905.

Application filed May 6. 1903. Serial No. 155.934.

To (0Z7 whom/ it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS DAVIS, of Boston, in the county of Suffolkand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Lubricators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in lubricators such as are usedto lubricate the steam prior to its entering the cylinder of an engineand for similar purposes in which it is desired to force oil or otherliquid 1ubri cant into a chamber against a pressure within said chamberand in which a pump is used to force the lubricant into said chamber.

It has for its object to provide a pump which will force or handle aconstant amount of the lubricant at each stroke of the pump, but wherebyany desired portion of the lubricant thus forced by the pump may beutilized; to provide means whereby the por tion of the lubricant pumpedand used may be regulated; to provide means whereby any desired numberof devices may be supplied with the lubricant by thesame pump and theamount supplied to each device may vary, if so desired, and to otherwiseimprove lubricators of this class, as will be described hereinafter andclaimed.

The invention is carried out substantially as illustrated on theaccompanying drawings, which form an essential part of thisspecification, and whereon like characters of reference refer to likeparts wherever they occur on the diflerent parts of the drawings.

On the drawings,Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the lubricator,aportion of the upper part of the device being removed. Fig. 2represents a longitudinal section on the line A B in Fig. 1. Fig. 3represents a detail sectional view of the preferred device used wherebythe lubricator may be operated by hand or by power, as desired.

Heretofore it has usually been the practice to provide a reservoircontaining a sup ply of lubricant with as many pumps of differentcapacities as there are different amounts of the lubricant to be fed orsupplied from said reservoir, or to provide means whereby the amountforced by each operation of each pump may be adjusted or regulatedindependent of the others. Such constructions or arrangements, althoughoperating satisfactorily, made the devices very complicated and clumsyon account of the numbers of le vers, connecting-links, and other partsused in the construction of such devices. It has also been the usualpractice to introduce the oil or other lubricant into the steam withinthe steam-chest of an engine by drops or small quantities at a time,according to the quantity which would be carried along by the flow ofthe steam; but such quantities have not been sufficiently small and havenot been applied to the steam in such a manner as to have the mass ofthe lubricant sufficiently broken up to permeate the entire body of thesteam therewith. On this account and on account of the heavy or thicknature of the lubricant it has been found that a considerable quantityof the lubricant has failed to be carried with the steam into thecylinders and other parts of the engine,

but has fallen through the mass of steam within the steam-chest andrested upon the lower surface thereof and in any crevice where it wouldbe liable to collect.

As above stated, it is the rincipal object of my invention to simplify te construction and necessary adjustments of multiple-feed lubricators;but it is also the object and a very essential feature in my inventionto provide means whereby the quantity of the lubricant fed may be brokenup into very small particles and be so thoroughly mixed with the steamthat the steam will be permeated with the lubricant and will hold thelubricant, so as to carry it into and through the cylinder, thus morefully accomplishing the object desired by the introduction of thelubricant into the steam.

My improved lubricator has a supply-reservoir in which a quantity of theoil or other lubricant is kept. This reservoir for convenience ofconstruction has been shown as consisting of a base portion 1, which issubstantially hemispherical and hollow, and said reservoir also consistsof a hollow cylindrical portion 2, bolted or otherwise firmly secured onthe flat upper side of the base portion. This reservoir is provided witha cover 3 of any desired shape, but sufficiently open to admit air totake the place of the lubricant as the lubricant is used from saidreservoir. Within the base portion 1 is a horizontallyarranged plunger4, one end of which is guided within a cylindrical recess 5 in the shellof the base portion 1, and which end of the plunger is preferablyflattened on one side to allow of the free reciprocation of the lungerwithin said recess. The opposite en of the plunger 4 enters acylindrical recess 6 within the inner end of a screw-threaded plug 7,inserted within a screw-threaded perforation in the shell of the baseportion. The end of the plug 7 within the reservoir is provided with astuffing box or gland 8, surrounding the plunger and forming a tightoint at this place for a purpose to be understood by the completedescription of the device herein contained.

A passage 9 is formed within that end of the plunger 4 whichreciprocates within the recess 6, and this passage forms communicationbetween the recess 6 and the interior of the supply-reservoir when theplunger is in the position shown in Fig. 2 on the drawings, thusallowing the lubricant from the reser voir to freely enter the recess 6when the plunger is in that position. A passage 10 through the plug 7and through the base portion 1 forms communication between the inner endof the recess 6 and a ipe or tube 11, and this passage is controlle by acheckvalve 12, which has been shown on the drawings as a ball-valve. Theposition of the opening to the passage 9 in the side of the p unger issuch that said opening is covered by the walls of the recess 6 during aportion of the movement of the plunger, which is reciprocated by themechanism to be described hereinafter. It will thus be seen that thelocation of the opening of the passage 9 on the side of the plunger incombination with the wall of the recess 6 forms a means wherebycommunication is cut off between the recess and the interior of thereservoir during a portion of the reciprocating movement of the plungerand that when this communication is thus cut off any oil or otherlubricant which is within the recess 6 will be forced from said recessand into the passage 10 and tube 11 by the further movement of theplunger toward the inner end of the recess 6. Thus the recess 6 and theplunger 4 form a pump by which the lubricant is forced from the interiorof the reservoir to the tube 11, and it will be seen that the valve 12prevents the return of the lubricant from the tube 11 when the plungeris moved outward in the recess 6.

The tube 11 communicates with a storagereceptacle or drum 13, and itwill be seen that the forcing of the lubricant into the tube 11 by thepump, as above described, tends to keep this receptacle filled with thelubricant under pressure, the amount of which pres sure may bedetermined by a suitable gage 14 upon said receptacle. As the lubricantis practically incompressible and as the pump is given a uniform amountof reciprocation, as hereinafter described, it will be necessary thatthere should be a relief device provided whereby any tendency to createan excess pressure by the pump would be relieved, and this relief deviceI construct substantially as follows: A passage 15 within the plug 7forms communication between the inner end of the recess 6 orpumpcylinder and the interior of the supply-reservoir, and it will beseen that any surplus lubricant may be returned to the reservoir throughthis passage 15 by the ac tion of the plunger. In order to control thisrelief-passage 15, and thus control the pressure maintained upon thelubricant within the storagereceptacle, I provide the passage 15 with avalve 16, which is operated by a handle 17 outside the outer end of theplug 7, and which valve contracts the passage 15 more or less, asdesired.

The mechanism used in my improved lubricator to reciprocate the plunger4, and thus force the lubricant into the storage-receptacle 13, as abovedescribed, is constructed substantially as follows: The plunger 4 isprovided with ring-shaped projections forming an annular rack 18 uponthe plunger, into which the teeth of a sector-gear 19 mesh. Thissector-gear is located within the supplyreservoir and is firmly mountedupon the end of a shaft 20, which projects through and has its bearingwithin the shell of the base portion 1 of the supplyreservoir. Upon theouter end of the shaft 20 is firmly mounted the wheel or circular disk21, provided with a handle 22, by which the shaft 20 may be rockedwithin its bearings, and through the sector-gear 19 and rack 18 theplunger may be reciprocated. Loosely mounted upon the shaft 20 is alever 23, the outer end of which may be connected to any suitable movingpart of the engine, as is commonly done with the operating-lever of theoil-feed pumps now in common use, and whereby the lever 23 will beoscillated upon the shaft. A awl 24 is pivotally mounted at 25 u on theever 23 in such a manner that the en of said pawl may be caused to entera recess 26 upon the back of the disk 21 or be withdrawn from saidrecess, according to the position of the pawl and substantially asillustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. When the pawl is in the positionshown in Fig. 3 and its end is inserted within the recess in the disk,it will be seen that the oscillations of the lever 23 by the action ofthe engine will cause a rocking of the shaft within its bearing, andthereby operate the pump to force the lubricant into the storagereceptacle 13, as above described. Thus the pump may be operated by handor by power, as is desired.

In order to be able to withdraw the lubricant from the reservoirwhenever it is desired to do so, I provide the base portion 1 of thereservoir with a passage 27, controlled by a valve 28.

One or more discharge-passages 29 are provided for lubricant from thestorage-receptacle 13 and through which the lubricant may be forced initspassage to the parts to be lubricated. Each discharge-passage isprovided with a valve 30, by which it maybe controlled, and also with asight-feed, through which the lubricant passes, and by which means aperson may see the rapidity with which the lubricant is being fed. Thesesight-feeds consist of a casing 31, provided with a transparent portion32 on opposite sides thereof, by means of which a person may seeentirely through the casing. IVithin this casing is a nozzle 33, throughwhich the lubricant passes when entering the chamber within the casingof the sight-feed. The chamber within the sight-feed is filled withwater, so as to cause the lubricant discharged from the nozzle 33 toassume the forms of drops and rise up throu h the water. The casing 31of the sight-feed is provided with a removable cap 34, within which islocated a check-valve 35, which will admit of the free passage of thelubricant from the casing through the passage 36 in the cap and to apipe or tube 37 connected therewith, but will prevent the re- };urai ofthe lubricant to the casing of the sight- "ee The tube 37 communicateswith a tube 38, which is connected to a supply of steam under pressureand through which the steam flows in the direction of the arrows shownin Fig. 2. A nozzle 39 is placed within the tube 38 in such a positionrelative to the communication between the tube 37 and the tube 38 thatwhen the steam passes through said nozzle it will tend to produce avacuum within the tube 37, and thereforeact to draw the oil or otherlubricant from the tube 37 into the tube 38, where it will be broken upinto small particles by contacting with the steam under pressure. Thisbreaking up of the mass of oil or other lubricant as it enters the tube38 will cause said lubricant to thoroughly miX with the steam and to becarried with said steam through the tube 38, which leads to the cylinderof the engine or to any other place where the steam is to be used as amotive power. This thorough mixing of the lubricant with the steam willthoroughly lubricate the steam and cause it to flowfreely within thetubes and passages through which it is to How in its passage to thecylinder of the engine and will act to lubricate the piston in saidcylinder.

By interposing a storage-receptacle within the passage of the lubricantfrom the reservoir to the place at which it is mixed with the steam I amable to store up a supply of lubricant under pressure and to tap saidreceptacle at any number of different places, and by means of the valveswithin the dischargepassages from said storage-receptacle I am able tosupply various quantities of the lubricant through these differentdischarge-passages at the-same time. By the use of the relief-passagefrom the pump-cylinder back to the reservoir containing the lubricant,which passage is controlled by a valve, I am able to maintainsubstantially a uniform pressure in the storage-receptacle until thefull capacity of the pump is reached.

If so desired, I may duplicate the parts of the pump for the lubricantand the connections to the storage-receptacle at the opposite end of theplunger to that already described. By this duplication of the pump I amable to feed the lubricant to the storage receptacle by the movement ofthe plunger in both directions, and consequently I am able thereby todouble the amount of lubricant pumped to the storage-receptacle, andtherefore double the capacity of the lubricator.

By the constant passage of the drops of lubricant through the body ofwater in the sight-feed a small quantity of the water is carried fromsaid sight-feed by the lubricant, and consequently the level of thewater in the sight-feed is gradually lowered. In order to provide meanswhereby water can easily be supplied to the sight-feed, I provide thesight-feed with. a receptacle 40, containing water, which receptaclecommunicates with the bottom of the casing 31 of the sight-feed, thecommunication between said receptacle and the casing of the sight-feedbeing controlled by a valve 41.

When it is desired to supply the sight-feed with water to take the placeof that carried away with the lubricant, I open the valve 41, and theaction of the nozzle 39 upon the pipe 37 and the space in the top of thesight-feed tending to create a vacuum therein will cause the water inthe receptacle 40 to flow into the sightfeed, and therefore raise thelevel of the water. in the sight-feed to the desired height.

Having thus fully described the nature, construction, and the operationof my invention, I wish to secure by Letters Patent and claim as myinvention 1. In a lubricator of a class described, a reservoir to hold asupply of lubricant, a pump-cylinder within said reservoir, a plungermovable within said cylinder, there being an inlet forming communicationbetween the interior of the reservoir and said cylinder, astorage-receptacle for lubricant under pressure, a valved outlet fromthe pumprcylin der forming communication between the pump-cylinder andthe storagereceptacle, means to reciprocate the plunger within thepump-eylinder and thereby force lubricant into the storage-receptacleagainst the pressure therein, there being a relief passage formingcommunication between the inner end of the pump-cylinder and thereservoir of lubricant, an adjustable valve in said relief-passage toadjust the freedom of the flow through said relief-passage and therebyvary the pressure maintained in the storage-receptacle, there being anoutlet for the storage-receptacle.

2. In a lubricator of the class described, a reservoir to hold a supplyof lubricant, a storage-receptacle to hold lubricant under pressure,there being a connecting-passage be tween said reservoir and saidstorage-receptacle, means to force the lubricant from said reservoirinto said receptacle against the pressure in said receptacle, therebeing a plurality of outlet-passages from said storagereceptaele, and anindependent adjustable valve controlling each of said outlet-p assages,whereby lubricant may be supplied for a plurality of purposes from thesame storage-receptacle through said outlet-passages and the amount oflubricant so supplied through each outlet-passage may be adjusted asdesired independent of that from the other outlet-passages.

3. In a lubrieator for steam, a reservoir to hold a supply of lubricant,there being an outlet-passage from said reservoir, a pump to force thelubricant from the reservoir through the outlet-passage, astorage-receptacle connected to said outlet-passage and into whichlubricant is forced under pressure by said pump, there being arelief-passage between the pump-cylinder and said reservoir, anadjustable valve in said relief-passage, there being a plurality ofoutlets from said storage-receptacle, an adjustable valve controllingeach outlet passage from said storage-receptacle, a pipe connected to asupply of steam under pressure and connected to each outlet from saidstorage-receptacle, an atomizing-nozzle at the connection of thesteam-pipe to each of said outlet-passages, a sight-feed in each.outlet-passage from the storage receptacle intermediate the receptacleand the connection With the stea1n pipe, and a cheek-valve in eachoutletpas sage from said receptacle intermediate the sight-feed and theconnection with the steampipe.

In testimony whereof I have afliXed mysignature in presence of twowitnesses.

THOMAS DAVIS.

l/Vitnesses HENRY CIIADBOURN. VVILLIAM E. VVEBSTER.

